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28 May 2013

Card ruling updates - the changes in Astral Pack 2

You might have known this, but reprints of cards in tournament-packs (in this case: astral packs) often mean their card rulings or card text has been updated. These updates might have slipped under your radar, but they’re important enough to make a post about them.

Note: the following pictures are as follows: Previous version of the card on the left, Astral Pack version on the right.

Justice of Prophecy: Only during YOUR turn.

Two noteworthy changes on this woman, when compared to the original version from Return of the Duelist:

Her effect no longer works during your opponent’s turn! Until it was possible to use Book of Fate/Wisdom during your opponent’s turn, use the effect of justice during the end phase (if it was still alive) and search for a spellbook and High Priestess to use it during your next turn.

The often discussed “you can’t use the effect because you didn’t activate a card after her summon” is now gone with the simple text “previously this turn”.

Light and Darkness Dragon: Now syncs with Lightpulsar Dragon

The important changes are:

The problem-solving card text now specifically mentions that it only works once per chain. Not to mention, it now also specifically mentions it works during either player’s turn (this should end LOTS of discussions).

Destruction and Special summon now occur at the same time. Until now it has always been assumed that the special summon happened AFTER the destruction. This means that if LADD was on the field with (for example) Lightpulsar Dragon, LPD would have missed its timing (because the last thing that happens in the chain was the summon of LADD’s effect, not the destruction of LPD). From now on the destruction and special summon occur at the same moment, so nothing stands in the way of Lightpulsar’s effect. (this is a nice upgrade for Chaos Dragons).

Gemini Spark: Draw only when successful

Two changes here:

The card text is now clearly divided in 4 parts. The first two (tribute and target) are the cost (before the semicolon), the last two (destroy and possibly draw a card) are the effect. This should avoid lots of discussions.

You can only draw a card when the destruction was a success. So no longer targetting Zenmaines to draw a card; this is no longer possible.

Harpies Hunting Ground: Its effect now targets

The first problem-solving card text is out and it has an interesting change: The effect of spell/trap destruction now targets, where it previously did not mention it!

Other (minor) card changes:

Photon papilloperative: The detaching of XYZ material and the target declaration no longer happens at the same moment. Now you FIRST detach an XYZ material, THEN you target an opponent’s monster.

Recycling Batteries: The effect of adding Thunder monsters to your hand now targets.

Spiritual Water Art- Aoi: Its effect now no longer targets (huh?).

Harpie’s Brother: First announcement of the set was the name change of Harpie’s brother. It is now named Sky Scout.

Cyber Phoenix: It now specifically mentions that it has to remain face-up until the start of the damage step.

Removal of “face-up” from card texts: The mention that certain effects can only activate if you control a face-up “archetype” card has been updated to have that face-up removed (was kind of silly anyway in the effect of the affected cards). This change is inflicted on Spellbook of Power, Atlantean Dragoons, Geargiaccelerator, Fire Fist Raven and Fire Fist Hawk.

Other changed card texts are old cards now being available in problem-solving card text. They do not have any change impact.